Life Cycle
by kasmo
Summary: Tribute to Team Seven. One is lonely. Two is company. Three is a crowd. But four, well, four is...


One is lonely

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, scenes, etc. from Naruto.

Summary: One is lonely. Two is company. Three is a crowd. But four, well, four is…

One is lonely.

Sasuke sat by the docks, a single, dark image gazing in the murky waters of the lake before him. This was his place of solitude, where his father had first praised him. He was all alone now though. He no longer had a father to praise him or a mother to tend to any wounds he may have as he clutched his shoulder where a single shuriken had sliced through him. He also no longer had a brother. What he had was a goal, a single ambition that would drive his life from now on. He would be alone yes, but that was the way he wanted it. Any more than one would be bothersome.

Two is company.

That boy was at the docks again, Naruto noticed. He seemed so lonely sitting there. Naruto was lonely too. He had no friends and no family, no one at all to talk to. It was extremely saddening. Naruto had a brilliant idea just then. Since they were both alone, why not be together? After all, two heads are better than one. Then neither of them would be lonely. He rushed down the hill with this fabulous idea in mind until he reached the docks where the lonely boy was sitting and was standing right behind him.

The boy didn't turn around though, didn't acknowledge his presence at all. Naruto scowled. What was with this boy?

"Hey!" he yelled loudly. "What are you doing here?"

The boy didn't say a word, just continued looking out at the waters.

"Hello?" Still no answer. Naruto growled under his breath. "Hey teme! I'm talking to you here."

The boy finally turned around slowly with a blank expression. Naruto stared at his pitch black eyes, but he didn't flinch. He grinned widely instead to combat the stare. He stuck out his hand boldly.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Who are you?"

Sasuke glanced down at the hand. What was this boy doing here? He had been minding his own business, but this boy had just charged in and disrupted his peace. Yet there was something about him that Sasuke couldn't ignore. As soon as Sasuke had met those bright blue eyes, it had been like he had broken through the waters drowning him in their darkness, finally allowed to take in a lungful of air and finally see the sun again. It felt…nice. Sasuke didn't know what it was, but something pushed at him to find out. He took the hand.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Nice to meet you dobe."

Naruto instantly raged at the nickname, calling him teme in return. Sasuke just smirked. It was the start of a brilliant friendship, Naruto was sure.

Three is a crowd.

"Sakura-chan!" a voice sang, making the girl in question look up with narrowed eyes from where they had been gazing in adoration. Why did he have to turn up now?

"Hey teme!" the voice continued.

"Don't call Sasuke-kun that," Sakura hissed.

Sasuke just casually returned, "Dobe" without opening his eyes from where he had been resting them while laying back in the grass.

Naruto just grinned at the nickname now. They had been using them for so long it seemed unnatural to _not_ continue it. Still, he whined for fun, "But Sakura-chan, he called me names."

"You started it, Naruto," Sakura said flippantly, turning her gaze back to Sasuke, so Naruto did too, only more flamboyantly.

"Hey, teme," he called. "Get off your lazy ass and let's do something." He grabbed Sasuke's arm to pull him up, but then another hand stopped him.

"Don't bother Sasuke-kun," Sakura broke Naruto's hold on Sasuke's arm. "He doesn't have to go anywhere if he doesn't want to."

"He's not resisting though," Naruto countered. "So obviously he doesn't mind." He reached out for Sasuke again, only to have Sakura block him again.

"Obviously," Sakura stressed, "if Sasuke is lying here, he would rather be here than somewhere else, so we should leave him alone."

"No we shouldn't," Naruto denied.

"Yes we should."

"No we shouldn't."

"Yes we should."

Sasuke just sighed quietly, his peace of thought broken. How had he ever thought he could rest with those two around? He just lay there, trying to tune them out, waiting for their argument to die out. They could go on for hours.

Four is…

Kakashi observed his students over the latest novel he was buried in. There was a boy with a permanently blank face and fathomless black eyes and hair to match: Sasuke. On his left was another boy that seemed just his opposite, with bright blond hair and even brighter blue eyes, complete with a sunny smile: Naruto. On the first boy's right was a pink-haired girl with green eyes and a high, screeching voice, he winced as he heard it: Sakura. Someone was in trouble.

"Naruto, you take that back!"

"No way!" Said boy was doubled over in laughter.

"Argh!" the girl jumped over the boy in the middle who swiftly pulled back out of the line of fire as the other boy was toppled over with a yelp.

"Teme! Help me here. She's going to kill me."

"Don't you dare, Sasuke."

Sasuke just stared at them both with a smirk.

"You traitor," Naruto howled indignantly as he tried to run away. Then he turned and seemed to have a better idea, deciding to tackle Sasuke instead. Sasuke's eyes widened but he didn't get away in time this time.

He was pushed back with a yelp and then an 'omph' as Sakura tackled Naruto in turn. He dropped his head back in the grass and stared up into the trees. He knew Kakashi was there, watching this with mirth. He glared.

Kakashi just grinned back through his mask. You didn't see that everyday. Well, unless you were in Team Seven that is. Then you practically saw it everyday. He returned to his novel. Ah, life was good.

Sasuke pushed his team mates off him with some effort, watching Sakura chase Naruto around again. It definitely wasn't how he had expected his life to turn out that first time he had returned to the docks after his life had changed irreversibly, but as he fell back into the grass and shut his eyes against the glare of the sun, he realised he wouldn't have had it any other way.


End file.
